The invention relates to a wear plate for mounting in a wear protecting disposition on a rotor disc of a pulverizer.
A particular type of pulverizer for size reducing solid material such as, for example, coal, comprises a raw coal inlet, a crusher dryer section, a pulverizing section, a fan section, and pulverized coal outlet. The crusher dryer section includes a plurality of beater blades all commonly mounted on a main horizontal shaft of the pulverizer, the beater blades cooperating with a grid section to effect an initial size reduction of the raw coal introduced into the pulverizer via the raw coal inlet. The pulverizing section includes a rotor disc also mounted on the main horizontal shaft for rotation thereby and a plurality of wear plates mounted on both respective axial surfaces of the rotor disc.
As the solid material is subjected to the pulverization by the pulverizing section, particles thereof migrate through the gaps between adjacent wear plates. These particles then cause wear and pitting of the underlying rotor disc including grooving of the rotor disc. Such wear and pitting of the rotor disc must then be remedied by costly resurfacing of the rotor disc or may even necessitate the replacement of the rotor disc before its hoped-for useful life.
Accordingly, the need still exists for an approach to controlling or limiting the migration of pulverized material through the gaps of the wear plates so as to thereby minimize wear and pitting on the underlying rotor disc. Such an approach should preferably be inexpensive to manufacture and should be as compatible as possible with existing wear plate and rotor disc arrangements so as to facilitate the installation and use thereof. Also, the approach should be suitable for use in the relatively harsh environment of a coal pulverizing operation including being subjected to the abrasive effects of coal. The system also should be simple and reliable, in order to keep maintenance costs to a minimum.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wear plate arrangement that addresses the concerns set forth above.